Grendell criticizes Montgomery's views

He also says the GOP chair is trying to intimidate him to get him out of the race.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- State Sen. Tim Grendell, a Republican attorney general candidate, said his views on the office are "more in tune" with the two Democratic candidates for the job than those of Auditor Betty Montgomery, his GOP primary opponent.
During an interview at The Vindicator Tuesday, Grendell had nothing but praise for state Sen. Marc Dann and Sudobh Chandra, the two Democrats in their party's attorney general primary.
"They both have the reform concept I share on the use of special counsel, and that the attorney general's office is the people's lawyer," Grendell said. "Their views are more in tune with mine than my opponent in the primary. I think Marc Dann and Subodh Chandra are heading in the right direction with their thoughts on the attorney general's office."
Grendell also accused Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett of trying to intimidate him to get out of the attorney general race to give a clear path to the November general election for Montgomery, who held the office from 1995 to 2003.
'Called on the carpet'
"I've been called on the carpet," Grendell said. "Bennett's big thing is I'm not a team player. Bennett said he'd marginalize me and I'd get crushed in the primary. He told me I should get out of the race for the sake of my political career."
When asked to respond, John McClelland, Ohio Republican Party spokesman, said: "We appreciate Sen. Grendell's service, but we support Betty Montgomery for attorney general because we believe she is the most qualified candidate for the job."
Grendell, a conservative who admits he's a maverick in his own party, announced in May 2005 that he would run for attorney general. One of the main reasons Grendell said he decided to run was to provide representation of northeast Ohio at the state level.
Grendell said he asked Montgomery, who was running for governor, about eight times if she was going to get out of the gubernatorial race and seek the attorney general's post. Each time Montgomery told him no, he said.
But in January, Montgomery quit the gubernatorial race, saying the only way she would win was to run a negative campaign and she wasn't going to do that. She also said she'd run for attorney general.
"If Betty Montgomery said in December that she had a 1 percent chance of running, I wouldn't be so upset," Grendell said.
No guarantee
There is no guarantee from Grendell that if Montgomery wins the Republican primary that he will support her.
"I haven't made that decision, but don't count on" an endorsement, he said.
Polls show Montgomery with a strong lead over Grendell.
"I'm not delusional," Grendell said. "... If this race has more to do with TV ads and money, I'm a dead man walking."
When asked recently about Grendell's tactics to criticize her such as stating she did nothing to stop the Coingate scandal at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Montgomery said, "I'm not afraid to defend myself and distinguish myself. People can criticize me on judgment calls, but I've never had a question about my integrity that had any merit."